Senior BJP leaders meet Bhagwat, Advani

Senior BJP leaders met the RSS top brass on Friday night to discuss the future course of action of the party mired in infighting.

According to sources, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and discussed succession plan for the party, which could take a few months. The sources also said that L K Advani may step down as Leader of Opposition by year-end.

NDTV has learnt that during the meeting, which lasted for more than two hours, Bhagwat asked the BJP leaders to end infighting and arrive at a consensus on change in leadership.

Bhagwat also asked the leaders to keep majority view in mind and to involve Advani and Rajnath Singh in the final decision.

Significantly, the BJP president Rajnath Singh was not part of the entourage that went to meet the RSS chief.

However, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu denied that there was any talk of a succession plan. He said, "There is no talk of succession, it is all speculation."

PTI adds:

As he reached to meet Bhagwat, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley is understood to have carried a message from Advani.

Ram Lal, BJP general secretary (Organiation) and RSS pointsman in the party, was also present during the meeting.

Sources said that besides Bhagwat, senior RSS functionaries including Suresh Soni, Madan Das Devi and Manmohan Vaidya were also present in the meeting.

While BJP leaders have met RSS top brass individually, it is for the first time that have held a meeting with it in a group.

After their talks with Bhagwat, Swaraj, Jaitley, Naidu and Kumar went to the residence of Advani to apprise him of the talks at the RSS office.

Before meeting Bhagwat, Jaitley held consultations with Advani who is likely to call on Bhagwat on Saturday.

Rajnath Singh had met Bhagwat on Thursday and is understood to have discussed the escalating internal squabbles plaguing the party during their nearly 90-minute discussion.